Folding couch.



I A. H. BUHLBR.

FOLDING COUCH.

APPLICATION IVILED OUT. 3, 1910.

997,267, V Patented Julyll, 1911.

abrwp 323M415,

- A wow coLumulA PLANOGRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

ARTHUR H. BUHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING COUCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed October 3, 1910. Serial No. 585,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. BUHLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Couches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in an article of household or hospital furniture commonly known as a folding couch, the object of the invention being to provide a couch of this character the drop sides there of being so connected to the main frame of the couch as to be automatically locked or unlocked by manipulations thereof.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide a folding couch which shall be simple of construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and eificient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

lVith these objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is an end view of my improved folding couch in its preferred form, Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view showing an interlocking hinge, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail side elevations showing the several positions of a side member of the couch and the action of an interlocking hinge, and Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a locking pin employed'in the invention.

The preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eifect as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, comprises a main frame 1 constructed of angular steel and supported by legs 2. which are riveted thereto as shown in Fig. 1. The top of the main frame 1 and the drop sides 3 are provided with ordinary bed springs 4 which are shown only in Fig. 1. The drop sides 3 are connected with the main frame 1 by means of interlocking hinges each of which comprises a pivotal pin 5 which passes through an end of the main frame 1 and a rounded end of a side member 4, said pin being provided with rounded heads as shown. The end of the main frame is provided with a longitudinal slot 6 which is disposed in a plane above the pivotal pin 5 and provided with a recess 7 in'the upper side of one end thereof. The recess 7 is located in the end of the slot 6 farthest from the pivotal pin 5 and is designed to receive a flanged locking pin 8, as will be hereinafter described. Said locking pin is shown in detail in Fig. 6 and is provided with a small head 9 at one end thereof to, which one end of a tension helical spring 10 is connected. The other end of the spring 10 is connected to the side member at a point 11 which is located above the plane of the recess 7 when said side member is in the horizontal position, as clearly illustrated in Fig; 3. Formed in said side member 8 adjacent the pivotal pin 5 is a slot '12 inclined upwardly from said pivotal pin and terminating in a rounded end 13 of said member.

The operation in raising a drop side is as follows z-Supposing the side 3 is in a position shown in Fig. 5, then, in order to 'move the same into the position shown in Fig. 3, it is necessary first to raise the side to the position shown in Fig. 4. During this movement the rounded end 13 of the side member 3 serves as a cam to press the pin 8 along the longitudinal slot 6 until it registers with the recess 7. When the inclined slot 12 registers with the locking pin 8, the latter will be drawn into said slot by the action of the spring 10, thus locking the side member 3 as shown in Fig. 3. In order to unlock the hinge for lowering the side member 3 into the pendant position as shown in Fig. 5, it is first necessary to raise said side member into the inclined position as shown in Fig. 4. This action causes one side of the inclined slot 12 to press the locking pin 8 out of said slot and along the longitudinal slot 6. hen the locking pin '8 has been forced fully out of the slot 12 the spring 10 will draw the same upwardly into the recess 7 in which it will be automatically locked. The side member 8 will now drop freely into the pendant position shown in Fig. 5. It is clear that the spring 10 holds the flanged locking pin 8 in the recess 7 until the opening in the'inclined slot 12 has passed said locking pin during the fall of the member 3. After the opening 12 has passed the locking pin 8 the angularity of the spring 10 has been so changed as to cause said locking pin 8 to be drawn downwardly out of the recess 7 and along the longitudinal slot 6 into a position as shown in Fig. 5.

A folding couch of the construction set forth is neat and compact in appearance and eflicient in operation.

lVhile I have shown what I deem to be the preferable form of my improved folding couch, I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the details of construction and the arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as are comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. A hinge joint for folding couches comprising two members pivoted together, one of said members being provided with a slot having a notch at one end and the other with a cam end and recess therein, a pin slidable in said slot and cooperating with said recess to lock said member in position, and a spring secured to said pin and said recessed member and arranged to draw said pin into said notch when the parts are in one position and to draw said pin into said recess when the parts are in another position, substantially as described.

2. A hinge joint for folding couches comprising a horizontal frame member and a drop member hinged thereto, said frame member being provided with a horizontal slot having a notch at its upper inner end and said drop member with a cam end and recess arranged to swing across said slot, a double-headed pin slidable in said slot and cooperating with said recess to lock said members in position, and a spring secured to said pin and said drop member and arranged to draw said pin into said notch when the drop member is in a position above the horizontal and to draw said pin into said recess when the drop member is in a position below the horizontal, substantially as described.

3. A folding couch comprising a main frame and side members, interlocking hinges connecting said side members to said frame, each hinge comprising a pivotal pin passing through one end of a side member and an .end of said main frame, each side member having a slot inclined upwardly from said pivotal pin and terminating in an end of the side member which is round, said frame being provided with a longitudinal slot adjacent to and in a plane above said pivotal pin, there being a recess in the upper side of said longitudinal slot in the end thereof farthest from said pivotal pin, a flanged locking pin loosely mounted in said longitudinal slot and adapted to engage said inclined slot for locking the side member in horizontal position, and a tension resilient member connecting said locking pin with the side member at a point in a plane above said locking pin when the side member is in a horizontal or elevated position, thereby causing the locking pin to engage with said recess when forced out of said inclined slot, substantially as described.

4. A folding couch comprising a main frame and side members, interlocking hinges connecting said side members to said frame, each hinge comprising a pivotal pin passing through an end of a side member and an end of said main frame, each side member having a slot inclined upwardly from said pivotal pin and terminating in a rounded end of the side member, said frame being provided with a longitudinal slot adjacent to and in a plane above said pivotal pin, there being a recess in the upper side of said longitudinal slot and in the end thereof farthest from said pivotal pin, a flanged locking pin mounted in said longitudinal slot and adapted to engage said inclined slot for locking the side member in horizontal position, and a tension helical spring connecting said locking pin with the side mem her at a point in a plane above said locking pin, when the side member is in an elevated position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR H. BUHLER.

WVitnesses:

FLORENCE E. LILLIS, JOSHUA R. H. Por'rs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

